I seriously doubt rockfall would cause both hangers to be so perfectly flattened. I suspect a crack climbing purist has enforced his ethics on everyone. It's unfortunate since this testpiece will be harder to back off from if it can not be finished for reason.

If those are big fat Metolius "pig ears" I am guessing you would see hammer marks all over the edges if they had been smashed flat. I looked at the before and after pictures and that was a huge block. It would be way easier to just unscrew the bolts and take the hangers. Wow that is terrifying to think someone could have been killed like a bug underfoot.